Tampon Ad Pulled After LGBT Activists Argue It 'Can Lead to Suicide'
A tampon advertisement is being removed after critics argued that it mocks LGBT people, and could lead to suicide.
Libra, the company which manufactures the tampons, was forced to publicly apologize after receiving a number of complaints about the ad, which aired in New Zealand.
It begins with what appears to be two blondes, a transsexual and a woman, both standing side by side competing with one another before a bathroom mirror.
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In the end, the female pulls out a box of Libra tampons, which the transsexual cannot compete with: something that- critics argue- mocks transgenders.
Transgender politician New Zealand Labor MP Georgina Beyer expressed her disgust with the ad on Radio New Zealand.
"It is a cheap shot ... Somebody got paid an enormous amount of money to come up with that and at the expense of a minority in our society who the last thing they need is inane comments like that being made about them," Beyer fumed.
One Facebook user argued that the ad was not offensive and suggested that it was simply factual.
"The ad does not discriminate, it merely points out the obvious. Only real women menstruate, that is not to say all real women DO menstruate. The two ideas are completely different and all the people complaining are to ignorant to see that," Jocob Dexter wrote on Libra's Facebook fan page.
The news follows reports that teen bullying suicides are on the rise worldwide, and many critics believe that the ad presents traits of bullying, which could lead to members of the LGBT community feeling ridiculed, according to nzherald.co.nz.
"To have this ad on television and make a joke of it and ridicule transgenders, it's not really acceptable. It can lead to suicide," argued Stu Donaldson, Wellington Gay Welfare spokesperson.
"You really have to be brave to face up to the fact that you're transgender and do something about it. I mean, the consequences can be really serious." Donaldson added.
Although the ad was allegedly designed to humor and not to offend, Libra agreed to remove it.
"Libra takes all feedback very seriously, and in response to this, we will immediately review our future position with this campaign based on the feedback received. There are no further advertisements scheduled in New Zealand," Libra said in a statement.
Is the ad offensive? You may view it below.
